Flood victims warned over "cowboy" builders
People whose homes have been damaged by this week's flooding in England and Wales have been warned to be on their guard against cowboy builders.Unscrupulous individuals will be seeking to exploit vulnerable householders who have fallen victim to the bad weather, the Trading Standards Institute (TSI) has stressed.Sarah Smith, the TSI's leading officer on scams, said the consumer watchdog had "lots of evidence" that "dodgy" traders had tried to exploit opportunities presented by previous natural disasters, including the Birmingham hurricane, to secure work."Unfortunately we know from previous incidents that conmen and disreputable companies will see the chance for making easy money from desperate families," said Ms Smith."Doorstep sellers will also seek to exploit the urgency of the situation facing victims," she added.Ahead of further heavy rain forecast for this weekend, the TSI is urging householders without home insurance to contact emergency assistance services provided by their local authority if their properties are damaged.Trading standard officers say that even those with insurance should obtain a minimum of three quotes and agree the details of any work needed in writing with contractors in order to avoid falling victim to rogue trades people.Meanwhile Nationwide has revealed that it has already received over 500 calls from its home insurance customers and expects to be contacted by more policyholders in the aftermath of the flooding.The company recommends that all holders of insurance should check their policies to ensure that they have adequate cover, even if their homes have not been hit by the bad weather.
Share this..
Related stories
Is Alistair Darling a busted flush?
Amid signs of yet more discontent between number 10 and number 11 Downing Street many people are starting to write off the political future of Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling. His recent White Paper on the UK regulatory system for the financial markets hit the headlines with some eye-catching initiatives although ultimately many believe the paper is severely flawed and has a number of...
Read MoreRoyal Bank of Scotland on the verge of Direct Line sale
Despite the fact that Royal Bank of Scotland had initially wanted to sell its Direct Line insurance division in 2012 via an IPO it is believed the company is on the verge of announcing a trade sale very soon. There is speculation that figures such as Warren Buffett, the investment guru, have already stepped forward to show their interest in what is a quality operation. It seems rather strange t...
Read MoreThree-storey love story
Three-storey properties are growing more popular and although most three-storey buyers did not deliberately choose a three-tiered home initially, nearly two thirds of those that own them now adore their extra floor, a new study has shown. National house builder Redrow, surveyed around 1,000 customers living in both two and three-storey properties, and found homeowners could list a wide variety of...
Read MoreNicolas Sarkozy to attack the City of London
As many had expected, Gordon Brown was caught in something of pincer movement during the recent flurry of EU high-level appointments which saw the UK government gain top spot in the foreign office while the French authorities have bagged the economic crown. Today sees the first in what many believe will be an ongoing programme of attack on the UK financial sector and in particular the City of Lond...
Read MoreGPs urged to cut drugs bill
The NHS could save more than £300 million a year if doctors prescribed medicines more effectively, the government's spending watchdog has said.According to the National Audit Office (NAO), which examined how medics could cut prescribing costs without compromising patient care, the drugs bill within the primary-care sector has increased by 60 per cent in real times over the past decade.The NAO, wh...
Read More